Reduction of left ventricular mass by antihypertensive treatment does not improve exercise performance in essential hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that a reduction in left ventricular mass by long-term antihypertensive treatment, possibly associated with an improvement of diastolic function, would increase exercise performance in patients with essential hypertension. DESIGNS After a placebo run-in period, 27 patients with essential hypertension World Health Organization stages I and II were assigned randomly to 6-month double-blind treatment with either a diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide plus triamterene) or a converting enzyme inhibitor (trandolapril), to which the calcium antagonist amlodipine could be added after 3 months if required for better blood pressure control.


METHODS
Investigations included clinic and ambulatory blood pressure measurements, left ventricular imaging and transmitral Doppler echocardiography and graded maximal exercise testing on the bicycle ergometer with respiratory gas analysis.


RESULTS
Six-month antihypertensive therapy, which caused significant (P < 0.001) reductions in blood pressure (by 16% for clinic pressure) and in left ventricular mass (by 13%), but without convincing evidence of improved diastolic function, did not affect exercise performance or peak oxygen uptake. The influence on clinic, exercise and ambulatory blood pressures and on the peak oxygen uptake was similar in the two treatment arms but left ventricular wall thickness decreased to a greater extent in the trandolapril group (P< 0.05 at 3 months and P= 0.06 at 6 months).


CONCLUSIONS
Regression of left ventricular mass caused by 6-month antihypertensive therapy does not improve exercise performance of patients with essential hypertension.
Fagard
R H
RH
Department of Molecular and Cardiovascular Research, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
Lijnen
P J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D003971:Diastole; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004452:Echocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents